ECTMarine delivers custom workboat for Dead Sea operations
Dutch marine engineering company ECTMarine has completed the delivery of a purpose-built workboat to Arab Potash Company (APC) in Jordan, following successful acceptance testing at the company’s evaporation ponds near the Dead Sea.
The vessel, designated Custom Workboat 104, was designed and constructed in the Netherlands to meet the specific operational requirements of APC’s industrial facilities. Site acceptance testing was completed in October 2026, with APC represented by its main contractor, Alghanem.
Operating conditions at the Dead Sea presented several design challenges, including highly saline and dense brine, a remote location approximately 400 metres below sea level and the need to transport the vessel overland before launching it into the evaporation ponds.
ECTMarine developed the workboat with a forward wheelhouse, an open working deck and a knuckle-boom crane. Its hull dimensions and deck arrangement were also configured to allow transportation on a standard flat rack, avoiding the need for a conventional marine delivery voyage.
Testing completed at evaporation ponds
Before shipment, the workboat underwent factory acceptance testing in the Netherlands during summer 2026. Representatives of the buyer attended a two-day programme that included sea trials and demonstrations of the vessel’s operating systems and configurations.
Following completion of the factory tests and subsequent adjustments, the vessel was shipped to Jordan on a flat rack and transported by road along the dykes surrounding APC’s evaporation ponds.
At the launch site, a mobile crane equipped with a double spreader-bar arrangement lifted the workboat from its trailer into the brine.
ECTMarine, Alghanem and APC then conducted site acceptance testing under local operating conditions. The programme included assessments of the propulsion system, deck crane and other onboard equipment.
The successful completion of these tests confirmed the vessel’s readiness for operational deployment at APC’s facilities. The workboat is expected to enter daily service supporting activities on the evaporation ponds.
ECTMarine will continue providing technical support to APC and Alghanem as the vessel transitions into regular operations.
The delivery illustrates the application of customised marine engineering to industrial environments where conventional vessel designs and transportation methods may not meet local operational requirements.
